SSH IDREC and DREC application process

You should apply to the Social Sciences and Humanities Interdivisional Research Ethics Committee (SSH IDREC) or (if applicable) to your own departmental research ethics committee (DREC) if you are applying from a department or faculty within the Social Sciences or Humanities Division, Mathematical, Physical and Life Sciences Division, or from, for example, colleges/University administration departments.

If your department has a departmental research ethics committee (DREC) it will review your application in the first instance. If you do not have a DREC, your CUREC application will be reviewed by the Social Sciences and Humanities Interdivisional Research Ethics Committee (SSH IDREC).

If you are not sure which form to use, please complete section A in the CUREC 1A form, which will guide you (see below). If you can fully apply no more than one particular ‘approved procedure’ (eg if you are working with children/schools or if you are using deception), you can stay within the CUREC 1A frame rather than ‘triggering’ a CUREC 2 application (see below).

In this case, please use the procedure-specific participant information sheets and consent forms as well as any other supporting documents associated with this procedure. You can find these on our Approved procedures page.

Please apply well in advance of the start of your research project. You may not start your study involving human participants or personal data until you have received your ethics approval letter.
Please see our timelines below.

***All CUREC documents are subject to ongoing review. Please always refer to this page (rather than locally stored versions) for the current versions of application forms.***

This form is only to be completed if you know your project has 'complex ethical issues'. Please use the 'filter' in the CUREC 1A checklist above (Section A) to determine whether you should complete the CUREC 2 form instead of the CUREC 1A checklist.

If you do not have a DREC, your CUREC 1A application will be reviewed by the SSH IDREC. Please email your application form and supporting documents to ethics@socsci.ox.ac.uk, using your ox.ac.uk email address.

Please note that this process may yet conclude that a full CUREC 2 application is needed. This could be because your project raises particular ethical issues.

If you have your owndepartmental research ethics committee (DREC) please complete your CUREC 2 application form and email it, together with your supporting documents, to your DREC in the first instance, using your ox.ac.uk email address. The DREC will conduct an initial review and then forward this on to the SSH IDREC for final review and approval.

If you do not have a DREC, please email your application documents to ethics@socsci.ox.ac.uk, using your ox.ac.uk email address.

The SSH IDREC or DREC secretariat will acknowledge receipt of your application and initiate the review process. Once reviewed, you will receive feedback via email. The committee may request changes or further information. Once all documents have been updated and questions answered to the satisfaction of the SSH IDREC or DREC, you will receive an approval letter. You may not start your study until you receive this letter.

The timeframe for review depends upon the study risk and quality of the application/supporting documents. Note that the review clock starts when your application is valid (ie once signatures and all relevant supporting documents have been provided). It stops while we are waiting for revisions from you.

If your department has a DREC

If you apply straight to the SSH IDREC (ie if you don't have a DREC)

CUREC 1A

Up to 30 days (your DREC will be able to advise on exact timeframes)

Up to 30 days

CUREC 2

Initial review by DREC takes up to 3 weeks, with final review and approval by the SSH IDREC taking another 2-3 weeks or more, depending on complexity

Up to 60 days

After approval

As your project progresses, there may be reasons to make changes (eg to personnel, duration, or procedures). If these changes alter the ethical frame of the project and thus require re-review, please contact ethics@socsci.ox.ac.uk for advice, clearly laying out the changes and any resulting new ethical issues. Please see section E on our FAQs page for further details.

The committee may ask to review your project, or for you to complete an annual progress report as part of routine monitoring exercises: